Godstone | |
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The pond at Godstone Green |
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Godstone shown within Surrey | |
Area | 18.06 km2 (6.97 sq mi) |
Population | 5,949 (Civil Parish 2011) |
• Density | 329/km2 (850/sq mi) |
OS grid reference | TQ3551 |
Civil parish |
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District | |
Shire county | |
Region | |
Country | England |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Post town | GODSTONE |
Postcode district | RH9 |
Dialling code | 01883 |
Police | Surrey |
Fire | Surrey |
Ambulance | South East Coast |
EU Parliament | South East England |
UK Parliament | |
Godstone is a village and civil parish in the county of Surrey, England. It is centred 6.3 miles (10.1 km) east of Reigate at the junction of the A22 and A25 roads, and near the M25 motorway on the escarpment of the North Downs to the north. In its far south, it has a railway station, with its own small community South Godstone separated by agricultural land. Two other communities exist tied to Godstone, The Enterdent and Blindley Heath, which includes a grassland nature reserve. The Greensand Way and the North Downs Way pass through areas of Godstone.
Godstone has a smaller population than Oxted 3 miles (4.8 km) east which is the administrative centre of its mid-unit of local government, Tandridge District. Westerham, Kent is 6 miles (9.7 km) east. The county town of Guildford is 22 miles (35 km) due west and London is centred 18.1 miles (29.1 km) north.
The village lay within the Anglo-Saxon administrative division of Tandridge hundred. It is built along a stretch of the London to Brighton Way Roman road, which comes through the high Caterham Gap and continues southward along Tilburstow Hill Road.
Godstone initially had a different name, Walkingstead, meaning 'Wolcen's place', from the Old English personal name Wolcen (related to modern English "" meaning cloud") and stede "place, homestead", related to modern English stead. A record of the name from 932 as Wuulicinsted proves this. Another record, undated, shows the name as Wolinstede, suggesting the same etymology. In the Domesday Book of 1086, it was Wachelstede.